A questionnaire from Powys County Council to ascertain residents' reactions to their proposals for a trial Residents Parking Scheme

We have been waiting some months for this promised questionnaire and had understood that Powys had listened to residents' objections to what would probably have been a very divisive 'Street Parking' scheme.

The council's revised proposals are far from ideal and we believe their proposed annual parking permit charge of £65 per car is ridiculously high.  However, it is a first step and CRAP believes that once residents parking is secured, some of the details can be worked out later.

Powys requires approval from over 50% of affected residencies for the scheme to go ahead - and this will be difficult to achieve. Many of the houses in the council's "core zone" are second or holiday homes, some are unoccupied, others are commercial premises and numerous properties already have their own private parking.

CRAP believes it vital that as many people as possible return their questionnaires to the council, approving the proposal for a residents' parking in Hay.

To do nothing is not an option; the campaign Keep Hay Free is promoting rejection of the proposals and hoping that things will just go on as they are.  It just won't happen!  If the community rejects these proposals, parking restrictions will be fully enforced throughout the town and many residents who currently park without penalty in restricted parking zones. will find they will no longer be able to do so.

Below are the letters we have distributed to affected household in Hay:

CAMPAIGN for a REALISTIC APPROACH to PARKING

Complete your Residents Parking Scheme Questionnaire and return it as soon as possible.

If you live in a “qualifying” property you will be able to park one vehicle registered to your address in ANY restricted parking area as shown on the plan attached to the Powys questionnaire

• Residents of Church Street; Oxford Road; Belmont Road; Chancery Lane; Broad Street; Bridge Street and Brook Street, SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL and you will have equal rights to apply for a residents parking permit.

• Residents of Hay town centre, SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL and you will enjoy residents’ parking throughout the “core”area and extra residents’ parking close to you in Bell Bank.

• Residents of Bear Street, SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL and residents’ parking in your street will be formalised.

• Residents of Lion Street and Heol-y-Dwr, SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL and you will enjoy less pressure on your current parking and extra residents’ parking outside the Drill Hall.  REJECT THE PROPOSAL and cars belonging to residents, particularly those owning more than one vehicle; visitors’ cars and those owned by employees of local businesses, driven out of restricted areas will put even more pressure on the parking spaces available to you

• Owners of shops and commercial premises, SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL and parking facilities will be secured throughout the town for your valuable customers and visitors, particularly during normal trading hours when many residents are not using residents’ parking spaces

• If you enjoy private parking, SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL and ensure that there is equitable parking for all Hay residents.

If you agree with us that Powys’s proposed Residents’ Parking Permit charge is far too expensive, please record that on your form.

Hay Residents’ Parking Scheme

As a “qualifying” property in the proposed Hay residents’ parking area, you will have received an explanatory letter and questionnaire from Powys.

Approximately 350 premises will be affected by these proposals, some are commercial premises, others enjoy private parking and some are holiday or second homes.   All are being consulted.  Powys needs approval from “more than 50% of residences” for the scheme to progress.   IT IS VITAL that if you want residents’ parking for Hay, you complete and post the form back to Powys AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

The proposals are far from ideal and the permit cost iniquitous BUT this is the last opportunity to get residents’ parking for Hay and as it is a trial; some details can be sorted out later.

We are faced with two alternatives SUPPORT THE PROPOSALS or DO NOTHING. 

There are only a very few unrestricted parking spaces in central Hay; parts of Heol-y-Dwr outside Chancery Court, parts of Lion Street by the Parish Hall and 3 spaces in Castle Lane.  If you can’t find a space there, you must park outside the town centre, over the Dulas Brook in England, in the Oxford Street Car Park, (at some considerable cost) in one of the spaces by the new river landing stage, sneak into the cattle market when it isn’t being used or risk the ire of local residents and park in Booth Gardens, Chancery Lane, De Breos Court or Black Lion Green where there are currently only limited legal parking restrictions.

IF WE DO NOTHING parking restrictions throughout Hay (including Bear Street which has largely escaped thus far) will be rigorously enforced and residents’ parking proposed for Lion Street outside the Drill Hall, the length of Church Street and in Bell Bank will not be introduced.  Residents of the few streets where unrestricted parking is permitted, particularly Lion Street and Heol-y-Dwr will be badly affected by displaced residents’ cars.

Support the proposals and we shall at least have an equitable residents’ parking scheme available to ALL RESIDENTS of the central Hay “core area”

Even if your property is a SECOND HOME or you already have your own PRIVATE PARKING, please return the form and make your views known.  Finally, remember that the introduction of residents’ parking in Hay will protect the value of your home.

CAMPAIGN for a REALISTIC APPROACH to PARKING 

Letter written to The Hereford Times in response to an article published on Thursday 22nd August

Dear Mr Knight

I write to you to correct some misunderstandings and unfortunate inaccuracies in the article ‘Anger over planned fee for residents’ parking’ published last week in the Hereford Times.

In 2011 Powys County Council took over responsibilities for Civil Parking Enforcement from Dyfed Powys Police and appointed eight new traffic wardens to police parking restrictions throughout the county.  Traffic restrictions which to that point had been enforced with some degree of latitude resulted in chaos and considerable local anger.

CRAP (the Campaign for a Realistic Approach to Parking) was founded to develop a community approach to updating parking restrictions in this small and ancient town which would as far as possible meet the needs of residents, local traders and our important visitors.

Our plans, developed after local consultation recommended that there should be no residents’ parking in the business centre of the town whilst existing restricted parking zones in more residential outer areas should be adapted to allow mixed residents and visitors’ parking.   We also suggested that the few currently unrestricted streets in the town be brought into the scheme and proposed that more parking be provided by use of the largely underused cattle market car park.  In November 2012 our plans were submitted to Powys County Council who promised to consider them in their proposals.

Shortly afterwards, Powys announced that because of local pressure and the work already done by CRAP, Hay-on-Wye would be used as a model for a comprehensive new parking scheme which if successful, would subsequently be rolled out across the county.

In June 2013, Powys mounted a public consultation and exhibition of “options for a Residents Parking Scheme in Hay-on-Wye”.   Unfortunately only one ‘option’ was offered and Powys’ street based proposals limited the opportunity to apply for a residents’ parking permit parking only to properties adjacent to specific streets.   Most residents of the town centre would not be offered any parking or the opportunity to vote in any referendum.

It is from the date of this exhibition that most concern has been raised and Burton Paul’s campaign ‘Keep Hay Free’ started.  

Your article stated that households in Castle Street, Church Street, Bear Street, Lion Street and Heol y Dwr Council are currently free to park on and would be allocated one parking space each, costing £65 with an additional permit costing £150.  Not correct, we must point out that in fact Castle Street, Church Street, Bear Street are all currently subject to restricted parking whilst Lion Street and Heol y Dwr are part unrestricted and part restricted. 

Powys County Council’s June proposals call for a single permit to be allowed to each qualifying property at an annual cost of £65, no second permit would be allowed.   Hay is a small and ancient town and there will always be very limited parking availability, however CRAP proposed, whilst appreciating there would never be sufficient spaces, that two permits should be allowed for each household and that the annual cost should be £26 each. 

Burton Paul complains that “it is only the residents of those five streets who have been consulted and local businesses have been shut out”.  Not correct.  There has been the already mentioned public consultation and numerous questionnaires were completed by members of the public attending.   Unfortunately Powys has chosen not to divulge the information and opinions gathered.

Your article starts with the statement that families could be faced with annual costs of up to £365 to park outside their own homes.  Under Powys plans, residents will be allowed to park only one vehicle outside their home at a cost of £65 with any other vehicles parked in the town centre car park at an annual cost of £150 each.  CRAP’s plans would allow up to two vehicles to be parked in the streets at a cost of £26 each.

Mr Burton lives in a household of three people who between them own four cars.  It is entirely his right to own as many cars as he wishes and to park them wherever he may; but Hay-on-Wye is a small town with a medieval layout and if we choose to live here, we must live with its limitations.

We can entirely understand the concerns of residents living in the few currently largely unrestricted streets but believe the only correct way to meet as far as is possible, the parking needs of residents, traders and visitors is to bring the whole town into an equitable system.

C.R.A.P.

(Campaign for a Realistic Approach to Parking)

The Result of the 3rd - 10th June Exhibition of "Options" for a Residents Parking Scheme for Hay-on-Wye, held at Hay Librray 

An email from Powys County Council to Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe.

Cllr. Ratcliffe,

Following the successful consultation/exhibition event for proposed Residents Parking schemes in Hay on Wye, the feedback is being analysed and will be available for publication.  The result of the analysis will determine how best to proceed and changes to the proposals will be considered and the proposals altered where appropriate. 

Such changes could include:

• the type of restriction proposed [i.e. ‘residents only’ to ‘residents and limited waiting’, or vice versa]
• the amalgamation of schemes in the central area
• reducing the streets under consideration 

It is intended that the outcome will again be discussed with the Town Council and decisions made, following more direct consultation (a postal drop is suggested) will be conducted with residents who would be directly affected by the revised proposals.

As a result of the consultation responses and discussions with yourself some initial changes have been made to the TRO proposals.  The double yellow lines on Hay Industrial Park attracted comment from residents of Meadow Park and the proposed length of the restrictions will now be limited to only cover the length from Brecon Road to just past the second entrance to Anderson.  Parking will therefore be possible on approx. 65m of the road leading to Meadow Park and will continue to allow workers to be picked up.

Regards, Phil Jackson.

It doesn't really tell us much except that it seems again the public won't be consulted!

We think calling the exhibition "successful" is perhaps a little ingenious.

A Plea from CRAP to our political masters

Below is an email sent out to those who have told us they wish to be kept in touch with the CRAP campaign.

We hope that the local community will be properly consulted before what we consider is an ill-thought out and probably unworkable Residents Parking Scheme is imposed on Hay-on-Wye.

We've tried to keep the email as neutral as possible but believe it very important we, the residents, locals and traders of Hay-on-Wye are given the opportunity to look at all available opportunities before any Residents Parking Scheme is imposed on us.

We suggested email that can be sent to: 

Gareth Ratcliffe (Hay-on-Wye County Councillor)

cllr.gareth.ratcliffe@powys.gov.uk

David Jones (Powys County Council - Cabinet Chair

cllr.david.jones@powys.gov.uk

Barry Thomas (Powys County Council - portfolio holder responsible for Highways, traffic management etc.)

cllr.barry.thomas@powys.gov.uk

Phil Jackson (Powys County Council - Transportation Manager)

phil.jackson@powys.gov.uk

Tony Caine (Powys County Council - Road Safety and Traffic Systems Manager)

tony.caine@powys.gov.uk

Kirsty Williams AM (Welsh Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire)

Kirsty.williams@wales.gov.uk

Roger Williams MP (Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire)

roger.williams.mp@parliament.uk

There will be a meeting at Hay Community Centre at 10:00 tomorrow morning (Monday 24th June) when we hope to outline our concerns to Roger Williams MP.

Obviously the email can and should be adjusted to reflect the individual writer’s particular viewpoint and concerns but I hope the outline will serve as a basis for any message.

We/I write to state my/our concern about the lack of consultation that Powys County Council has undertaken with the community in Hay on Wye over their proposals for the introduction of Residents Parking in the town.

The council held a display during library opening hours at Hay Library from 3rd to 10th June promoted as “an exhibition of options for a Residents Parking Scheme in Hay-on-Wye”.  Unfortunately the only option displayed was a “Street Zone” proposal that offered a limited number of town centre residents the option of securing a Residents Parking Permit which would be valid only in the street adjacent to their homes.

You will be aware that other proposals have been put forward to the council including one produced by a local campaign, a “Whole Town” scheme that would allow all residents of the central town area the opportunity of buying a Residents Parking Permit which would be valid in all shared use parking streets in the central town area.

Since the exhibition, other proposals have emerged and feelings are running high among the community.  We believe it important that Powys County Council live up to the four fundamental principles of Openness, Inclusivity, Integrity and Accountability that underpin its commitment to good Corporate Governance to ensure that there is “credibility and confidence” in the Residents’ Parking proposals it offers the people of Hay-on-Wye.

Rather than rushing through a contentious plan, it is surely better to take more time and encourage the local community to examine all the different proposals and alternatives and ensure that the finally adopted Residents Parking Scheme serves the needs of traders and visitors to Hay as well as meeting the aspirations of as many of the town’s residents as possible.

In passing, we do suggest you look at the admirably produced, and very obviously extremely committed site, 'keephayfree' on Facebook.  IWe don’t agree with what the campaign is trying to do which we believe to be completely impractical, but we do believe they have a right to be heard.  keephayfree has been fairly vitriolic about CRAP and has wiped the responses we have tried to post to various of their claims - Ah well!

Best wishes

     

  

CRAP & Facebook

Oh dear, I’m new to Facebook and have never really seen the point of joining until being told about the campaign being run by ‘Keep Hay Free’ against Residents’ Parking Permits being introduced in Hay.

I've therefore joined Facebook and hope I've managed to dowload this statement there.  It's probably far too long, but please bear with me and if you can be bothered, hopefully you will see the full story of CRAP’s campaign

First let me say that I started the Campaign for a Realistic Approach to Parking (CRAP) and yes I am a recent resident of Hay, having lived here only four years, and no, I don’t own a business here.   So far so good, but just to get some facts straight –

I started CRAP as a reaction to Powys County Council plans to take over Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) in April 2011.  Up to then, Dyfed Powys Police had responsibility for CPE in Hay; we had one Traffic Warden and things got along pretty well.  Everyone knew where to park, there was little friction and parking rules, although on the face of it very restrictive, were enforced with common sense.  In other words, although an imperfect system, it worked!

In April 2011, we were faced with a very different situation, Powys took over responsibility for enforcing parking restrictions throughout the county, appointed eight new Traffic Wardens (Civil Enforcement Officers) to police the system – and all hell broke loose!  Parking Tickets were issued like confetti and I believe it true to say that most people in Hay, residents, traders and visitors were very unhappy with the new enforcement regime.

From April 2011, CRAP has campaigned to promote a sensible and realistic alternative to the new situation.   We believed the existing parking restrictions were outdated and insufficient thought had been given to any provision being made for residents’ parking in the town.  The Powys County Council ‘Prohibition and Restriction of Waiting and Loading and Parking Spaces, Civil Enforcement and Consolidation Order 2011’ to give it it’s full and glorious title, with which Powys assumed Civil Parking Enforcement, made provisions for Residents Permits and other Parking Dispensations but no effort was made to introduce them. 

CRAP believed that there was no going back to the old laissez faire system and we were stuck with Powys running CPE for the foreseeable future, the only sensible way forward was to try to persuade the county to update its parking regulations, back off from its draconian enforcement of town centre parking restrictions which we believed was damaging local businesses and make some provision for local residents’ parking.

We felt it was important not to impose our ideas without consultation with the local community.  CRAP held several local meetings, distributed questionnaires, contacted our local council, our MP and AM and kept the local press informed of our campaign.  We started a blog, CRAP-Powys.blogspot.com and started to lobby Powys County Council to look at Parking in Hay as an urgent priority.

After local discussions, we developed a suggested parking plan for Hay which proposed the town be divided into three areas.  First, a Green Zone, was to be the main retail commercial area of the town centre where we proposed there was to be no residents’ parking, leaving the area for visitors and shoppers who would be able to park for various limited periods.  Second, a Red Zone, the streets adjacent to the main retail area bounded more or less by Heol-y-Dwr, Oxford Road, Church Street and Broad Street.  This area was to have mixed parking, allowing visitors to park for one or two hours but permitting residents with valid Residents Parking Permits (RPPs) unrestricted parking.  Zone three was everywhere else, where no changes were proposed.   We also made one or two additional suggestions.  (Full details of our scheme, and maps, can be seen on our 20^th February 2013 post in our blog CRAP-Powys-blogspot.com)

No proposed scheme can ever be perfect, but we had developed a scheme which the majority of people consulted, seemed to think would work.  Certainly it enjoyed the support of the Town Council, Gareth Ratcliffe our County Councillor and I believe, Hay Chamber of Trade.   We didn’t think the scheme would be adopted without change, but thought it would be a good starting point.  An important element of our campaign was to open the town centre cattle market to mixed residents’ and paid visitors’ parking on days it wasn’t being used.

We believe that in an ideal world, there would be no charge for visitors’ parking as an encouragement to local trade and made every attempt to ensure our proposals would not provide residents’ parking at the expense of the livelihoods of local shops and businesses.  We know that Powys, along with other local councils, was strapped for cash and that income from parking is important, if only to pay for CPE enforcement.  (Despite a Freedom of Information request, we have never been able to find out the full costs of Powys assuming responsibility for CPE!)  CRAP therefore believed the best way to secure council support for Residents’ Parking was to allow that there would be a charge made for permits.  Our original suggestion was £25 per permit but we finally opted for £52 per annum, i.e. £1 per week.  We also suggested there should be a limit on two permits per residence within the Red and Green Zones in Hay.

Our campaign continued and created some considerable stir, locally, nationally and unbelievably, even internationally; our blog attracting visitors from over thirty countries.   Unfortunately Powys seemed unable or unwilling to look at the problems we faced in Hay and we seemed to be getting nowhere.

In May 2012, Local elections brought in a new Hay Town Council and a new Powys County Council administration.  We had lobbied all County Council candidates prior to the elections and received support from many but by no means all, for our campaign.  Again, results can be seen on our blog.

The new Powys administration were much more supportive of our campaign and to cut a very long story short, thanks very largely to the hard work and support of Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe, finally agreed to introduce Residents’ Parking and eventually, to run a trial scheme in Hay, as we had “done so much preliminary work”.   If successful, the scheme would be expanded to other towns within Powys.

At a meeting in September 2012 with Powys County Council officers in County Hall, Landrindod Wells, attended by Gareth Ratcliffe and representatives of Hay Town council, we presented the CRAP proposals and received the promise that these would be taken into account when final proposals were drawn up.

In May this year, we received notice that Powys had at last developed their proposals for Residents’ Parking in Hay and proposed to hold a public “exhibition of options for a Residents Parking Scheme for Hay-on-Wye” in Hay Library starting from June 3^rd to June 10^th.  We were horrified by the lack of publicity for the exhibition and the fact that it was to open the day after the Hay Literary Festival closed.  We were also very unhappy with Powys’ proposals which we believed offered no promised “options” but rather promoted only their plan which recommended a divisive and unworkable system that we believed was a. impractical, b. unlikely to enjoy the support of the local community and c. would end up with Hay voting for only partial adoption.

We believed adoption of this plan was the worst possible outcome and would result in us losing the opportunity to establish a workable scheme for the town.  I reiterate that CRAP has never felt our scheme would be adopted in total, but we had hoped some elements of it would be incorporated in the Powys plan.

What then are the differences?

Both Powys and CRAP are aware that there are too few parking spaces for the likely demand and neither scheme can guarantee parking to every holder of a Residents Parking Permit.

The Powys Plan calls for all existing Residents Parking Zones (RPZs) in Central Hay-on-Wye (current 1 and 2 hour RPZs) to be shared Visitors’ and Residents’ Parking except Bear Street which it is proposed will be Residents Only.

CRAP proposes the same except that Bear Street will also be a shared use RPZ.  It also believes that all Council adopted road within central Hay should be part of the scheme.

The Powys Plan allows only residents living adjacent to designated streets (Street Zone Scheme) to qualify to apply for Residents Parking Permits (RPPs)

CRAP’s want all residents living in the central town area (Whole Town Scheme) to be able to qualify for Residents’ Parking Permits.

Powys wants to limit Residents to park only in the street adjacent to their home and not in any other residents parking zone.  If residents can’t park in their Street Zone, they can only park in the Car Park or an out of town unrestricted area.

CRAP believes that owners of RPPs should be able to park in any shared use RPZ in the town centre area.  If residents can’t park in their own street, they can park in any other town centre shared RPZ, in the Car Park or in an out of town unrestricted area

Powys believes that RPPs should be limited to one per qualifying household in any Street Zone.

CRAP believes that two RPPs should be available to any household in the central area.

Powys calls for Residents Parking Permits to cost £65 per annum (£1.25 per week)

CRAP suggests that Residents Parking Permits should cost £52 per annum (£1.00 per week)

The Powys Plan calls for the five parking spaces in Bell Bank to be shared use RPZs.

CRAP believes these spaces are important to town commerce and should not be available for Residents Parking

The Powys plan calls for a 51% of all residents in individual Street Zones, whether or not they already have private parking, to support the plan to adopt the plan for that Street Zone.

CRAP believes that a vote should include all residents of the town centre area, excepting those who already enjoy private off street parking.

There are of course other differences, but in essence CRAP believes (I believe) that the only way to ensure that we can adopt a sensible Residents Parking Scheme which supports local businesses yet allows town centre residents a reasonable opportunity to park somewhere near their homes rather than in an unprotected car park or out of town, (where recent thefts and vandalism have shown cars can be at risk) is to adopt a Whole Town scheme, making parking available to all town centre residents, rather than the proposed Street Zone system which allows parking only to a limited number of residents.

We believe that to do nothing is not a realistic option.  Whether we like it or not, Powys County Council has responsibility for Civil Parking Enforcement.  Currently, they have backed off from enforcing parking restrictions as fully as they might, if no new system is embraced then the existing restrictions will be fully enforced and we shall have got nowhere.  Proposed shared use RPZs will be timed zone RPZs and no residents’ parking will be permitted.   Most of Lion Street , Church Street and Heol-y-Dwr currently enjoy no parking restrictions, Booth Gardens displays unauthorised (and illegal) signs and there are a few anomalous unrestricted parking areas in the town.  If Powys start to enforce existing parking restrictions, (or the currently proposed Powys Street Zone system is only partially adopted) these outside areas will come under increasing pressure from both displaced residents as well as people working locally and visitors, to the detriment of local residents.

The Powys proposals are being promoted as a trial, and truth to tell if the proposed system is introduced, it will probably fail and an opportunity lost – again!   We believe if a trial is to be started, it should be a trial of a system that stands at least some chance of working, for the benefit of the majority of the town, residents and traders.

These then are the choices.  If you think I have misrepresented the situation or you have any preference or hold an opinion about any of our or Powys’ proposals, then let us, Powys, or Gareth Ratcliffe know – before it’s too late and the proposed trial starts.

Powys County Council 1 - C.R.A.P Nil

It's the penultimate hurdle!

We hope you've seen the exhibition at Hay Library, if not go tomorrow, or at latest Monday and make your opinions known.

Powys County Council have presented the community with what seems to be a fait accompli.

The options on offer are :

1. To accept what the council are offering - a Street Zoned parking policy

2. Reject Residents Parking as an option in Hay

3. Suggest an alternative

C.R.A.P offered an alternative but council officers claim that at a meeting held with our local County Councillor, Gareth Ratcliffe and two (unnamed) Town Councillors, the Street Zone system was the option approved.   Apparently the whole town alternative was rejected although it met policy guidelines,

A Street Zone system will:

1. Allow Residents Parking only to Residents in specified areas and then only in the immediately local street

2. Not allow Hay residents living outside a 'street zone' to apply for a Residents Parking Permit 

3. Create a system where residents unable to park in the limited area their Street Zone permit allows, attempt to park in one of the few remaining non zoned areas, or somewhere out of town.

What is the unspecified and unpublicised alternative?

A town Centre Residents Parking scheme (broadly along the lines of CRAP's original proposals.) and broadly adopting the Powys suggestions for shared Residents and time zoned parking areas

What would this mean.

1. Any householder living within the central town area would be eligible to apply for a Residents Parking Permit

2. Holders of a Residents Parking permit would be able to park in any shared parking zone in the scheme area, not just a designated 'Street Zone'

3. It will obviate, or at least reduce the necessity for 'scrambling' for limited spaces in a 'Street Zone'

4. It will release more space for visitors and shoppers when shared spaces are not occupied by residents.

5. It will be a town wide scheme and discourage anti-social behaviour from people trying to,protect their 'local' parking.

We are assured by Powys County Council Officers Tony Caine and Phil Jackson that residents' comments will be taken into account no whilst no alternative has been offered other than the 'Street Zone' system on offer, if their is enough pressure from the community, their proposals will be looked at again.

We can only hope so!

The alternative - is to do nothing!

In which case, Hay won't have an effective Residents Parking scheme.

IT'S UP TO YOU!

 

Powys County Council's proposals for Residents Parking in Hay displayed in Hay Public Library

Powys County Council's proposals for Residents Parking in Hay are being displayed in Hay Public Library from 3rd to 10th June.  Officers from Powys will be at the library on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th June so all interested parties should attend and ask as many questions as they wish.  We have attached some suggestions.

We hope you have all had a chance to see the Powys County Council proposals for a Hay-on-Wye Residents Parking Scheme which are displayed in Hay Library.  Powys staff will apparently be on site on Thursday and Friday and everyone is invited to complete a (rather inadequate) questionnaire and ask questions regarding the "options" available (It seems the options are to accept or reject the PCC proposals).

We are deeply unhappy at what seems to be a missed opportunity.  If this opportunity to start a sensible scheme is missed it will probably be a very long time before Powys will again address the problem.  We are unlikely to get a residents parking scheme in Hay - but perhaps that is the hidden agenda!

Anyway, attached are some questions we propose to ask the Powys representatives on Friday and we shall publicise their responses to our mailing list, on our blog and to the press.

QUESTIONS

Posters displayed around the town promoted a “Public Consultation” of a “Resident Parking Scheme” in Hay Library, promising “an exhibition of options for a Residents Parking Scheme in Hay on Wye will be on display”

1.     What are the other options being offered for consideration?

In order for the public to be able to make an informed judgement as to the proposals, the following must be made clear at the exhibition:

2.     What are the proposed time restrictions and operating days appropriate to each parking zone?

2a.    Where are these indicated and made available to the public?

3.     Is it proposed to include all council adopted streets in central Hay-on-Wye within the scheme?  Booth Gardens, de Breos Court etc.

4.     Will current parking areas not identified on the plan (e.g. Lion Street from Constitutional Club to junction of Heol-y-Dwr) be included in the scheme?

5.     Do PCC consider that the proposal to create a “shared use” parking zone of the six/seven spaces in Bell Bank will have any detrimental effect on local trade?  These spaces provide essential shoppers parking and long term residents parking might be disadvantageous.

6.     What action has been taken or is proposed regarding the community’s proposals to use the Cattle Market Car Park for additional residents/public parking when the market is not in use?

7.     What will happen to the responses gained from questionnaires completed during this consultation?

7a.    Will responses be made public?

8.     Will consultation/voting go ahead with ‘Properties Eligible for Permits’ as identified in the PCC proposals, irrespective of responses received from questionnaires?

9.     Will only ‘Properties Eligible for Permits’ (identified with stars on maps in the PCC proposals) be allowed to vote for individual street zone proposals?

10.    Will residents not living in ‘Properties Eligible for Permits’ be permitted to vote in any consultation process or be allowed to buy a Residents Parking Permit? (i.e. residents of Brook Street, Chancery Lane, much of Lion Street, Castle Street, etc.)

11.    Will voting be restricted only to householders without private parking or will all householders and businesses (as identified with stars on maps) be allowed to vote?

12.    Will householders separately occupying flats within one residence qualify for and voting and the right to apply for Residents Parking Permits if the scheme is approved?

13.    If restrictions on voting qualifications are to be enforced, how will this be done and by whom?

14.    How will voting response be audited?

15.    What percentage approval rate in any given street zone is required for the scheme to be implemented?

16.    Will voting responses be available for public inspection?

17.    Is the Powys County Council proposal all or nothing?  Must residents in all zones agree or can it be part implemented?

Summary

The PCC proposals are divisive. Parking is severely restricted in Hay-on-Wye.  Too many people, with too many cars, trying to park in too few places in an ancient town not designed for car parking. 

It is current practice, if one cannot find a parking space local to where one lives, to look for alternative space somewhere not too distant.  If Street Zones (SZs) are introduced, RPP holders will be unable to park elsewhere in the town other than in the few remaining (accidentally?) unrestricted areas.  This will prove unpopular and stressful and result in locals manoeuvring vehicles and proprietarily guarding their few available places.

Is the PCC proposed scheme of limiting parking to one street the best alternative?  Might not the better alternative be the community proposed scheme of Residents Parking Permit holders having the right to park in any designated shared Parking Zone?

The attraction of the Street Zone scheme for planners is obvious, it is more easily adapted for the different circumstances various town dictate and furthermore is very similar to the proposals already put forward by PCC officers.

A more flexible non-zonal inclusive RPP scheme representing an amalgam of the current PCC proposals and plans already produced by the community which allows holders of Residents Parking Permits to park in any designated Shared use Parking Zone in the town central area would prove to be more practical and welcome.

Inaccurate Mapping

PCC have made an attempt to list ‘Properties Eligible for Permits’ excluding those which already enjoy private off-road parking. (examples No. 7 Heol-y-Dwr - Brook House; The Old Forge, Lion Street etc.) but the listings are inaccurate.

Of 44 properties linked to Heol-y-Dwr Combined RPZ, 15 (34%) already enjoy private off-road parking.  Of 27 properties linked to Bear Street RPZ, 4 (15%) already enjoy private parking.  Of 50 properties, linked to Broad Street, 16 (32%) are commercial properties, not private residences and 10, (20%) already enjoy private parking

Not before time but there are still so many unanswered questions

Response from Cllr. David Jones, Leader of Powys County Council to letter from Hay Chamber of Trade

Anne

I will ask officers to look into your suggestions and see if they are feasible

Regards

David Jones

Please see our last post for Hay Chamber of Trade's email to the Council

 Letter to Powys County Council Cabinet

and Officers from Hay Chamber of Trade

Sirs

I have been asked as Chairman of Hay & District Chamber of Commerce to follow up on the suggestion made by CRAP that the Hay Cattle Market car park be turned into a mixed residents' and pay and display car park when not in use as by the market. It's a largely unused space and it would be ideal to use this space on days when there is no Cattle Market. Parking in Hay is a problem for residents and visitors so any extra space would be very welcome.

It would of course create a useful income for Powys County Council.

Dual use of space is not new to Hay-on-Wye as the Hay Thursday Market uses the Market Square car park one day a week with out any problem.

I understand that the lease on the Cattle Market is due to be renewed shortly and it would appear that no discussion has yet taken place with the organisers of CRAP regarding this suggestion. It would be a wonderful opportunity if this could be incorporated into a new lease especially as parking in Hay-on-Wye is at a premium.

I would be grateful to hear any comments you may have on this important issue and hope that the suggestion by CRAP can be given due consideration.

Yours Faithfully,John EvansChairman 

COUNCIL ANNOUNCE RESIDENTS' PARKING FOR HAY-ON-WYE

Just heard that Residents' Parking has been approved by Powys County Council and implementation is now being worked on.

Apparently 51% of residents in affected areas must approve Residents' Parking in their street, or the restrictions in that area will remain unchanged.  (I am awaiting details of this proviso)

We still await details of Hay cattle Market and the new lease which apparently will be agreed in the next two weeks.  The prospective use of the car park attached to the cattle market is vital if the parking scheme for Hay is to work properly, and we are watching the situation very carefully.

We will pass on further news as it comes to hand but the council are putting out a press release as we send out this email.

The Cattle Market - A Potential Car Park for Hay?

A Response from Phil Jackson - but what does it mean?

Further to your e-mails regarding the possible use of Hay Cattle Market for public car parking, at present I am able to respond only as follows:

You will appreciate that the market area is currently leased to Messrs. Brightwells and renewals or changes would be a matter for discussion between the two parties.

I am not able to comment on that process or to give the assurance you have requested at present.

However, I remain aware of your interest, and that of Cllr. Ratcliffe, and the importance placed on use of the market area in connection with the the parking proposals.

Regards, Phil Jackson.  

Two recent emails to Members of the Powys County Council Cabinet

email dated 1st March 2013 

(The date we were originally told the new lease for the cattle market would be signed!!!!

Dear Councillors and Mr Jackson

As I have not received the courtesy of any response, I feel quite sure that you must not have received my emails of 26th and 20th February regarding my concerns regarding the awarding or renewal of the lease of Hay Cattle Market.

CAN YOU PLEASE CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT ANY NEW LEASE HAS BEEN GRANTED FOR THIS SITE and if so, whether any allowance has been made for the establishment of public car parking on the site.

As a resident, voter and concerned citizen, I look forward to your reply.

Regards

email dated 26th February 2013 

Dear Councillors and Mr Jackson

I hope you will recall my email of 20th February regarding my concerns about the re-awarding of the lease on the Hay-on-Wye Cattle market.  I quote that part of my email below.

"I remain very concerned about one vital aspect of the plan we prepared - that is the opportunity of using the car par area of Hay cattle market as shared Pay and Display and Residents' Parking in the periods when it is not in use for the cattle market.  This is important if our parking proposals are to work properly but is dependent upon it being incorporated in any new lease or renewal being granted for cattle market.

Has any new lease or licence been granted for the market and if not, can we be assured that the potential for incorporation of a parking facility in the market will be part of that lease or agreement?   If a new lease or licence has already been granted, we must ask the same question!"

I understand that due to a bereavement, your scheduled cabinet meeting has been postponed until next week; I am obviously sorry for the circumstances that caused this delay but would be most grateful for a response to me email.  I have not received any response to my last email and therefore my question remains - Has any new lease or licence been granted for the market and if not, can we be assured that the potential for incorporation of a parking facility in the market will be part of that lease or agreement?

Regards

Campaign for a Realistic Approach to Parking

CABINET MEETING POSTPONED FOR ONE WEEK

Due to a bereavement the Powys County Council cabinet meeting, scheduled for today, 26th February, has been postponed one week until next Tuesday 5th March.   Hopefully the proposal to allow Hay-on-Wye to proceed with its new Residents' Car Parking scheme will then receive its final approval.

ANOTHER LETTER TO PHILIP JACKSON & POWYS CABINET MEMBERS 

(We didn't receive an answer to our email of 20th February!)

Dear Councillors and Mr Jackson

I hope you will recall my email of 20th February regarding my concerns about the re-awarding of the lease on the Hay-on-Wye Cattle market.  I quote that part of my email below.

"I remain very concerned about one vital aspect of the plan we prepared - that is the opportunity of using the car par area of Hay cattle market as shared Pay and Display and Residents' Parking in the periods when it is not in use for the cattle market.  This is important if our parking proposals are to work properly but is dependent upon it being incorporated in any new lease or renewal being granted for cattle market.

Has any new lease or licence been granted for the market and if not, can we be assured that the potential for incorporation of a parking facility in the market will be part of that lease or agreement?   If a new lease or licence has already been granted, we must ask the same question!"

I understand that due to a bereavement, your scheduled cabinet meeting has been postponed until next week; I am obviously sorry for the circumstances that caused this delay but would be most grateful for a response to me email.  I have not received any response to my last email and therefore my question remains - Has any new lease or licence been granted for the market and if not, can we be assured that the potential for incorporation of a parking facility in the market will be part of that lease or agreement?

Regards

Campaign for a Realistic Approach to Parking

Hay-on-Wye Resident’s Parking Proposals

 

January 2013 (second revision 20^th February 2013)

These proposals are the result of months of discussion and consultation with residents, traders and visitors to Hay-on-Wye.  They enjoy the support of Hay Town Council and have been designed to meet residents’ desires for simple to understand, practical and affordable car parking close to their homes whilst addressing the legitimate needs of the town’s traders to provide adequate on-street car parking for visitors and shoppers.

These proposals are designed to be cost neutral, limiting expenditure through taking advantage as far as possible of existing signage and road markings whilst increasing revenue through encouraging greater use of existing Pay and Display car parks, sale of Residents’ and Visitors’ Parking Permits and the creation of greater future income through the provision of a new 48 vehicle capacity Pay and Display Car Park on the Cattle Market Car Park site.        

It is hoped that these proposals can be used by other communities throughout Powys as a basis for adaptation to meet their own particular circumstances and parking needs.

It is proposed that the town be divided into the following zones or areas.

RED ZONE (ZONE 1.)     MAIN RETAIL & COMMERCIAL AREA 

There will be no special dispensation for residents’ parking within the Red Zone outside designated Residents’ Only Parking Zones (RPZs)

Parking in Zone 1 will be restricted to:

• Pay & Display Car Park in Market Square to include two (2) new spaces outside HSBC Bank

• Disabled Parking in defined bays in Castle Street.

• One (1) hour time limited RPZs as shown on plans. Restrictions applicable between 8:00am and 6:00pm Monday to Saturday except RPZs in Lion Street above Clock Tower (1.); Lion Street, outside Hay Deli (2.) and Bull Ring outside the Royal British Legion Club (6.) where overnight parking might cause problems i.e.  

• Designated Residents Only RPZs as shown on plans.  Parking restricted to vehicles displaying a current Residents’ Parking Permit 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

No parking will be allowed in RPZs or Pay and Display Car Park in Market Square and Clock Tower area to allow for market operations on Thursdays and authorised ‘special events’.

PROPOSED NEW & ALTERED RPZs WITHIN Red Zone (Zone 1.)

1. It is proposed that two (2) new 30 Minute Parking Bays are created at the top (South) of the Clock Tower area of Lion Street where the street is sufficiently wide before narrowing beside CommuniKate and Booth’s Book Shop.  It is proposed this RPZ will be enforceable 24 hours to prohibit overnight parking which might interfere with large vehicle essential early morning deliveries.

2. An RPZ allowing two (2) new One Hour parking bays will be created in Lion street, approximately outside Hay Deli.  This RPZ, positioned in the widest part of that section of Lion Street, will formalise what is common parking practice, permit larger vehicles to turn right on entering from High Town yet leave space for trade vehicles servicing shops in the street.  It is proposed this RPZ will be enforceable 24 hours to prohibit overnight parking which might interfere with Post Office deliveries/collections and large vehicle essential early morning deliveries.

3. Existing 30 minute RPZ in Castle Street will be extended to allow One Hour parking.

4. The Western end of the existing One Hour RPZ (presently a 30 minute RPZ) in Castle Street will be extended towards the junction with Belmont Road to create one (1) additional One Hour parking bay without causing any interference to traffic flow.

5. Two (2) new parking bays will be created in Market Square, immediately outside the HSBC Bank.  These bays will be incorporated into the Market Square Pay and Display car park and the same conditions governing the car park will apply.  These spaces will be suspended for market operations.

6. An RPZ allowing two (2) new One Hour parking bays will be created in the Bull Ring outside the Royal British Legion Club building close to its junction with Market Street.   This RPZ, positioned in the part of the Bull Ring where there is currently no pavement, will formalise what is common parking practice, and not interfere unduly with traffic flow.  It is proposed this RPZ will be enforceable 24 hours to prohibit overnight parking which might interfere with large vehicle essential early morning deliveries.

7. The present unregulated parking area under the castle wall at the junction of Castle Street and The Bull Ring will be designated a dedicated Residents’ Only RPZ providing three (3) new spaces.

8. A new dedicated Residents’ Only RPZ providing Four (4) parking spaces will be created in the unregulated area in Chancery Lane immediately East of the building cornering Broad Street, (Gabb’s Solicitors) to the entrance to the private car parking area behind Booth’s Bookshop, opposite and West of the library car park, providing four (4) new spaces.

9. A new dedicated Residents’ RPZ will be created in Chancery Lane, East of its junction with Brook Street running to the bollard restricting street width outside ‘Owl Cottage’.  The propose RPZ will continue South from that point along the adopted but unregulated lane to the rear of ‘The Old Forge’ to its junction with Lion Street, where it will cross to include the lane opposite and end at the point where that lane narrows and turns West to emerge beside the Kilvert Arms.  This will not restrict any through traffic flow, formalise what is common parking practice and provide useful regulated parking for the numerous small residences in the area.

Other existing RPZs within the Red Zone (Zone 1.) will remain unchanged other than that all restrictions excepting dedicated Residents Only RPZs will operate Monday to Saturday, from 8:00am to 6:00pm and determine No Return within 2 Hours.  (see under PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND SIGNAGE)

See attached plans for locations and conditions applying to existing and proposed RPZs.

GREEN ZONE (ZONE 2.) STREETS ADJACENT TO MAIN RETAIL AREA

This area is defined as being from Heol-y-Dwr in the East to Oxford Road in the South to Broad Street/Belmont Road to the North and Church Street to the West.

Vehicles displaying a current and valid Residents’ parking Permit must adhere to the following conditions when parking in the Green Zone (Zone 2).

• Vehicles displaying a current and valid Residents’ parking Permit are permitted unrestricted parking in designated Residents’ Only RPZs within the Green Zone (Zone 2) as shown on plans.

• Vehicles displaying a current and valid Residents’ parking Permit are permitted unrestricted parking in 1 Hour and 2 Hour RPZs as shown on plans.  Restrictions are applicable to all other vehicles which must be parked in accordance with displayed time limitations.   

• All vehicles including those displaying a current and valid Residents’ parking Permit must adhere to stated time limitations in designated 30 Minute RPZs.

PROPOSED NEW & ALTERED RPZs WITHIN Green Zone (Zone 2.)

1. An RPZ will be created by formalising the existing unregulated bays outside the Council Offices below (North of) the Clock Tower, providing four (4) 1 hour parking bays, suspended on Thursdays for market operations. Powys CC to advise on how signage and/or road markings can prevent prevalent double rank parking.

2. The East side of Heol-y-Dwr for approximately 20 metres length opposite the junction of Brook Street and Heol-y-Dwr, will be designated a No Waiting At Any Time, No Loading area to facilitate large vehicles exiting Brook Street into Heol-y-Dwr. 

3. The North side of Heol-y-Dwr from approximately opposite the vehicular entrance to Poplar House, except for the 20 metre No Waiting At Any Time, No Loading area referred to above, to the entrance to Booth Gardens will be designated a 2 Hour RPZ. The pedestrian entrance to properties in The Gardens should be protected from obstruction by parked vehicles with an ‘H’ bar painted on the road surface.

4. The unregulated parking area on the West side Heol-y-Dwr from outside Chancery Court to approximately opposite 5 Albert Terrace, will be designated a 2 Hour RPZ.

5. The unregulated parking area in Lion Street, from opposite the Parish Hall to the road width restriction close to its junction with Heol-y-Dwr, excepting that area outside the Constitutional Club will be designated a 1 Hour RPZ.  The Westernmost end of that RPZ outside Nos. 8 to 10 Chancery Lane will be marked single row, side by side parking, the balance parallel parking as at present.

6. The unregulated parking area in Lion Street, at the junction with Bear Street, outside ‘The Blacksmiths’ will be designated a 2 Hour RPZ providing three (3) parking bays.  The RPZ to the North of the ‘H’ bar outside the pedestrian entrance to ‘The Blacksmiths’ should be enlarged to permit (1) one vehicle parking bay in addition to the remaining space allowing two (2) bays South of the ‘H’ bar.

7. An RPZ allowing four (4) new 1 Hour parking bays will be created in Lion Street outside The Drill Hall.  This RPZ, positioned in the widest part of that section of Lion Street, will formalise what is common parking practice.  It will allow adequate vision for vehicles exiting Gittins Garage and be clear of the junction of Lion Street and Oxford Road.

8. An RPZ allowing three (3) new 30 minute parking bays will be created in Oxford Road immediately opposite the National Westminster Bank outside, but not obscuring the entrance to ‘Cae Mawr’.  This will provide very useful short term parking space particularly for users of the bank’s ATM and will formalise what is current common parking practice. This new RPZ will have the effect of creating a traffic restricting ‘chicane’ which will help moderate sometimes excessive traffic speeds in Oxford Road.

9. The current RPZ on the South side of Church Street, outside the Cinema Bookshop will be shortened by approximately 2 metres at its West end to create a 2 Hour RPZ providing three (3) parking spaces.  This RPZ has the effect of creating a traffic restricting ‘chicane’ which whilst causing occasional inconvenience to some motorists, does help moderate sometimes excessive traffic speeds in Church Street. 

10. Powys County Council will not be responsible for enforcing any restrictions in unadopted Roads and cul-de-sacs within the Green Zone (Zone 2).  Owners will operate their own restrictions and be responsible for controlling them. 

11. All adopted and presently undesignated roads in the Green Zone (Zone 2) will become designated Residents Only RPZs. (de Breos Court, Carlsgate etc.)

All RPZs within the Green Zone (Zone 2) excepting 30 Minute RPZs will be operative Monday to Saturday from 8:00am to 6:00pm and determine No Return for 2 hours.  (see under PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND SIGNAGE)

See attached plans for locations of existing and proposed RPZs.

ZONE 3.      DESIGNATED OFF-ROAD PARKING AREAS

Current designated Off-Road car parking is provided by the Oxford Road Pay and Display car park.

This is frequently unable to meet demand from visitors to Hay, particularly in summer months, on market days, Bank Holidays and when special events are taking place in the town.   Additional off-road car parking is urgently required. 

It is therefore recommended that that the possibility of using all or part of the current vehicle parking (non-livestock) section of the cattle market, should be examined as a practical answer to the problem of lack of visitor and residents’ parking.

The lease on the Cattle Market is due for imminent renewal in March 2013 and it is vital that Powys County Council negotiate any granting or renewal of the new lease to allow for use of part of the site as a mix of Pay and Display and dedicated Residents’ Only parking to meet the needs of residents living in Church Street and the immediate locality .

It is extremely important that any area provided for parking in the cattle market is isolated from the important Motte and Bailey earthworks which might be incorporated to become an attractive feature of the site.

It is considered that a longer term answer might be a car park established on the parcel of land immediately to the North of Hay Bridge, to the East of the B4351 opposite ‘The Start’. 

The site is unobtrusive and effectively obscured from general view by the brow of the hill to the North and to the South by mature trees growing on the Radnorshire bank of the river.  This site is as close to the Clock Tower as the current Oxford Road Car Park and would usefully service businesses and residents in that part of the town.   It is believed that development of a car park on this site will have a beneficial effect on and contribute to the resurgence of commerce in the Northern part of Hay town centre.

Powys County Council should give urgent attention to earmarking this site for use as a future car park and Clyro Community Council kept informed of any planned development.

PARKING RESTRICTIONS & SIGNAGE

Parking restrictions in Hay-on-Wye should be limited to the following:

No Parking Areas

1.       Double yellow lines - No Parking at any time with certain exceptions for loading and unloading etc.

2.       Double yellow lines + No Loading sign – No parking at any time other than for emergency vehicles.

Pay and Display Parking

For the benefit of longer term visitors and to obviate the necessity of an early visit to the car park to ‘feed’ the meter, the Pay and Display machines in the Oxford Road Car Park should be updated to allow tickets to be issued for up to 5 days in multiples of 24 hour periods.

In the shorter term until the introduction of new machines or updating of existing machines, signs should indicate that tickets for longer term parking are available from various local outlets including Hay Tourist Office and the proposed Hay Together Hay Castle Office.

If the proposal to convert part of the Cattle Market vehicle park into additional parking when the market is not in use, this could provide much needed additional Pay and Display visitor parking. (see DESIGNATED OFF-ROAD PARKING above)

Disabled Parking Bays

Parking restricted to vehicles displaying valid Disabled badge.  Vehicles displaying valid Disabled badges will also have the right to park in any One or Two Hour RPZs in both Zones 1 and 2 in Hay for a period of up to Three Hours.

Residents Only Parking

Operative 7 days a week, 24 hours per day.   

Time Restricted Parking Zones

All signs will display a coloured square or strip - Red for Red Zone (Zone 1) and Green for Green Zone (Zone 2) to indicate within which zone the sign is situated.

There will be no special dispensation for residents’ vehicles parking within the Red Zone (Zone 1) outside designated Residents’ Only RPZs

There will be no special dispensation for residents’ vehicles parking in 30 Minute RPZs where parking restrictions will apply to all vehicles at all times.

Parking in One and Two Hour Time RPZs is limited to cars and vans; no trailers, vehicles weighing over 2.5 tons or HGVs are permitted.

Time Restricted Parking Zones (RPZs) as shown on plan will be:

1.       7 days a week  

All times

30 minutes Parking,

No return within 2 hours

2.       Monday to Saturday

8:00am – 6:00pm 

1 Hour Parking,

No return within 2 hours

3.       Monday to Saturday

8:00am – 6:00pm

2 Hours Parking

No return within 2 hours

Some RPZs in town centre will be suspended for regular market operations

Some designated RPZs will use defined marked parking bays to prevent misuse, dangerous and inconsiderate parking.

PARKING PERMITS

Powys Parking Permit

Cost:            12 months - £150.00           6 months - £80.00              3 months - £40.00

Currently obtainable from Powys County Council and displaying to and from validation date and

vehicle registration number.

• Entitles vehicle displaying valid permit to park in certain Powys council’s long term car parks.

Residents’ Parking Permit

Limited to vehicles registered to a qualifying address, subject to proof of residence.  Permit to be surrendered if vehicle sold or relocates.

• A Residents’ Parking Permit is valid only within Hay-on-Wye.
• A Residents’ Parking Permit is only valid for the period recorded and for the vehicle bearing the registration number marked on the Permit.
• Ownership or display of a Residents’ Parking Permit does not guarantee a parking place.
• Residents are forbidden from placing cones or barriers in the road to reserve a parking place without specific authorisation.
• Vehicles must be parked within defined Parking Bays where marked.
• Ownership or display of a Residents’ Parking Permit does obviate compliance with time parking restrictions within Zone 1. or in 30 minute Restricted Parking Zones.

Residents’ Parking Permits will be issued for a period of 12 months and limited to a maximum of two Permits per residence (unit of occupation liable for council tax) in Hay-on-Wye. 

Cost: 1 Permit - £52.00               2^nd Permit - £78.00            

Residents’ Parking Permits will be obtainable from Powys County Council, Hay Public Library and from various local outlets including Hay Tourist Office and the proposed Hay Together Hay Castle Office.

Residents’ Parking Permits will display to and from validation date and vehicle registration number.

Vehicles displaying a current and valid Residents’ Parking Permits are entitled to park for any period in any Residents Only RPZ in Hay or any 1 or 2 Hour RPZ outside Zone 1.

Changes and Refunds

Should any owner of a Residents’ Parking Permit change the registered vehicle, the old Permit must be surrendered and a new Permit will be issued with the new vehicle details and registration number.

Should a Permit no longer be required it may be surrendered and a refund issued amounti ng to the unexpired period remaining on the Permit.  

Surrender Refunds

Permits with up to 9 months remaining – 75% of fee (£39.00)

Permits with up to 6 months remaining – 50% of fee (£26.00)

Permits with up to 3 months remaining – 25% of fee (£13.00)

Charges Made for Changes

All changes and refunds made to Residents’ Parking Permits will be liable to a £10.00 administration fee.    

Special Dispensation Parking Permit (SD)

Cost:            12 months £ NIL

Obtainable from Powys County Council only and displaying to and from validation date and vehicle registration number.  Designed for use by essential workers/services, doctors, nurses, health visitors etc.   To be displayed only when on call.

Allows vehicle to park in any Residents Only or One or Two Hour Time RPZ within Hay-on-Wye outside Zone 1. for a maximum of two hours.

Hay-on-Wye Temporary (visitors) Parking Permit (TP)

It is proposed that ONE DAY Temporary Parking Permit sheets are printed in booklets of five or ten parking ‘occasions’ and available at a cost of £4.00 each.  This cost is set significantly higher than the cost of parking ‘all day’ in Oxford Road Car Park in order to try to maximise use of the car park for longer term parking.

Each Permit will permit parking for the displayed period in any 1 or 2 Hour RPZ within the Green Zone (Zone 2) for visitors and trade users and will be displayed inside window on the driver’s side for ease of reading.

Temporary Parking Permits will record for each parking ‘occasion’, the day, date and start time and the registration number of the vehicle.  The permit will necessitate the required information is recorded in ink and that once used, each used permit is ‘spoiled’ by tearing off or folding back an indicated ‘tab’ to prohibit re-use.  Please see example attached to this report. 

It is suggested that Temporary (Visitor) Parking Permits are validated at point of sale with an embossed stamp to prevent the use of forged Permits.

Temporary (Visitor) Parking Permits will be available to all, whether residents of Hay-on-Wye or not and will be obtainable from Powys County Council, Hay Public Library and from various local outlets including Hay Tourist Office and the proposed Hay Together Hay Castle Office.  The use of Temporary (Visitor) Parking Permits should limit Temporary On-Street Parking Dispensation Certificate applications made to Powys County Council and will produce significant income over time.

Temporary On-Street Parking Dispensation Certificate.

Available only from the County Council Parking Authority and necessitating a three working day application period.   For the situating of a builder’s skip or for the use of traders working in the street or at adjacent properties to apply for the short-term, non emergency use of a vehicle in contravention of the on-street restrictions.

Dispensations are to be charged for and provided at the Parking Authority’s discretion.  Applications will only be approved where road safety and traffic management is not compromised.

Pedestrian Crossings

There is an established need and much repeated request for the installation of a pedestrian crossing in Broad Street approximately between Jones Hardware and the Blue Boar.  It is proposed that Powys County Council conduct a feasibility study into the practicality of installing a pedestrian crossing at this location.

INTRODUCTORY SCHEME

It is suggested that Hay-on-Wye Parking proposals are publicised widely to the local community and an introductory two week scheme be undertaken when parking in the town will be closely monitored and tickets issued to offending vehicles.  For this two week introductory period, these tickets will be a ‘Warning Only’ but for maximum impact, will be designed, and fixed to offending vehicles to closely resemble the issuing of normal Penalty Notices.

Additional Car Parking Spaces provided by proposals

1 new 1 Hour bay in Castle Street close to junction with Belmont Road

2 new 1 Hour bays in Lion Street before junction with Brook Street

2 new 1 Hour bays in Bell Bank outside Club

4 new 1 Hour bays in Lion Street outside Drill Hall

2 new 30 Minute bays in Lion Street by Clock Tower

2 new 30 minute bays in Oxford Road opposite Nat West Bank

2 new Pay and Display spaces in Market Square outside HSBC Bank

Plus:

Potential 12 (plus) new Residents’ spaces in Cattle Market car park

Potential 36 (plus) new visitors’ spaces in Cattle Market

Current unregulated Car Parking spaces to be regulated by proposals

Four (4) 1 hour parking bays below (North of) the Clock Tower

Three (3) 1 hour parking bays in Lion Street outside ‘The Blacksmiths’

Three (3) Residents’ Only bays at junction of Castle Street and The Bull Ring

1 hour RPZ in Heol-y-Dwr opposite Brook Street

1 hour RPZ in Heol-y-Dwr outside Chancery Court

1 hour RPZ in Lion Street opposite Parish Hall

1 hour RPZ in Lion Street before junction with Heol-y-Dwr

Four (4) Residents’ Only bays in Chancery Lane outside Gabbs Solicitors

Residents’ RPZ in Chancery Lane East of Brook Street

Residents’ RPZ in lane from Chancery Lane to the Kilvert Arms

Residents’ Only RPZs in Adopted cul-de-sacs and closes